Automobile lock



o. s. HERsHEY AUTOMOBILE Locx sept. 25, lzs. l 1,685,128

Filed Deo. 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Failed/5962?] A Sept. 25, i928. 1,685,128

o. s. HERsHEY AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed Dec. 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN l/E/V TOP A TTORNE Patented Sept. 25, 19.28..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OBVILLE S. HERSHEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISQASSIGNOR TO HERSHEY MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

` Original application iiled April 13, 1922, Serial December 18, 1926.

This invention relates to certain imp-rovements in automobile locks, and more particularly to locks of the coincidental type which combine in a unitary structure a detent or locking bolt and an electrical switch, together with a single operating means therefor, such 'as has been shown and described in my prior application Serial No. 552,357, filed April 13. 1922, of which this is a divisional case.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a lock of simple, practical and efficicnt construction which may be contained within a housing that surrounds the steering column of an automobile, and, if desired, be secured to a ixed part thereof, suc-h as the dash board; to provide therefor an operating means which may be optionally manipulated to affect either the detent and switch, or just the latter alone; and to so construct and arrange the switch unit that it may be associated with or disassociated from the remainder of the lock struc-ture without requiring access to any of the parts interiorly thereof.

Other object-s as well will hereinafter appear from the description and claims to follow, and from the accompanying drawing wherein is set forth a suggestive embodiment of this invention in t-he manner following:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the lock and housing therefor;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 which is a longitudinal sect1on on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, shows a modification in the construction of the bracket plate which connects the lock to the instrument board; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view with portions broken away to exhibit a. modification of the ignition switch.

The lock shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is contained within a housing A adapted for mounting upon the column B which surrounds in spaced relation an automobile steering post C. here represented as a tube. In the region of the lock is a collar D secured fast to the post, there. being a longitudinal groove'lO formed in the collar. Since the collar is associated with the post primarily to facilitate construction, and is to all intents and pur- No. 552,357. Divided and this application led Serial No. 155,619.

tional connection to the automobile dash or instrument board E, it is preferably formed with an upwardly extending plate 11 ser-.-

rated as at 12 or otherwise appropriately formed on its face which engages with the rear side of the dash. Connecting the lock to the board are bolts 13 each passing through an aperture `in the dash and through a slot 14 in the plate for permitting the device to be vertically adjusted upon the dash board, thereby varying within certain limits the angular position of the steering column. A nut 15 threaded ontoeach bolt bears with pressure against the rear side of the plate which tends to 7remain ina given position of adjustment ,relative to the dash, due, in part, to the sei-rations 12.

A slightly different connection between the lock housing and dash board is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the plate 11 is provided additionally wit-h a boss 16 adapted to extend into a slot 17 formed through the dash, there- A by resisting any tendency toward lateral shifting movement. Bolts or screws 18 for providing additional connection may also be used, as indicatedin this figure.

The mechanism contained within the housing by which the steering post may be locked against rotation comprises parts as follows: Within a chamber which extends rearwardly from the column is slidably mounted a locking bolt 20 having an open slot 21 at its rear end in which is seated a compression spring 22 th at tends to urge the bolt forward through an opening 23 in the column so as to lodge within the collar groove 10. Unless otherwise restrained. the locking bolt will, therefore, assume the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. For controlling the movements of the locking bolt I provide in its body an aperture 24 the rear side of which is flat. and disposed therewithin is an eccentric 26 having two angularly related Hat faces a and b and also a third i'lat face c which is aligned substantially dia-metrically with the axis of a rock shaft 30 on which the eccenthe housing rearwardly of the column, 011e end of the shaft being provided with an operating handle 31' which lies exteriorlv of the lock.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, there is arranged within the housing a. rotatable cylinder lock 35 having an entry slit 36 disposed upon the upper side of the housing for the reception of an operating key. The lock cylinder extends within the housing close to the rock shaft, and at its inner end is provided with an eccentric lug 37 adapted when in one position to engage within one of three longitudinal grooves y and .a that are formed in the rock shaft. The circumferential relation of these grooves corresponds with that of the eccentric faces a, Z) and c so that the spring 22 acting through the bolt 2O will tend to hold the shaft in any one of the three positions wherein the lug 37 may enter one of the grooves y and .e to thereby lock the shaftagainst further rotation until resort is had to the operating key to rotate the cylinder lock in the reverse direction necessary for disengagement of the eccentric lug.

Extending transversely into the rock shaft is a bore 40 wherein is accommodated a push spring 41 that bears against al plunger' 42 to press the same outwardly againstthe surrounding walls. The open end of the bore lies adjacent one end of the groove a and is disposed in the plane of an intersecting tangentialv bore 43 wherein is slidably mounted a safety pin 44 having a head 45 which projects exteriorly of the housing. A spring 4G which bears outwardly against the head tends to hold the safety pin in an outer position. In the body of the pin is provided a longitudinally curved notch 47, the contour of which about corresponds to the periphery of the rock shaft 30. `Vhen the safety pin is pushed in to its limit which may be determined by engagement of its inner end with the bottom 48 of the bore, the notch 47 will coincide. with the periphery of the rock shaft; whereas in its normal position (see Fig. 3), the pin will engage the rock shaft in the region Lof the lower notch end.

Of more importance, however, is the relationship to the safety pin of the plunger 42 which engages therewith whenever the rock shaft is so disposed that either of the eccentric faces a or b are engaged by the bolt 20. From Fig. 3 it will be noted' that the plunger end protrudes from the bore 40 so as to engage with the corner 49 which is formed by the intersection of the bore with the opening wherein is accommodated the rock shaft. 'The rock shaft will accordingly be prevented from rotation in a clockwise direction. If, however, the safety pin be shoved in, its curved notch surface 47 will act as a cam toy force the plunger back to a position where it lies wholly within the rock shaft, thereby permitting the same to be rotated. In the position shown in through Fig. 3, the rock shaft is also held by the eccentric lug of the cylinder lock from rotating in either direction.

To permit operation of the steering mechanism, the locking bolt is retracted, as indicated in Fig. 1, to what will be termed first position. I-lere it will be noted the eccentric face a is engaged with the locking bolt. Additionally I provide a stop means in the form of a. pin 50 which engages with the hands 31 when the rock shaft hasy been rotated through its intended arc-about 180 altogether. In this first position the eccentric 37 may be moved into notch .fr to maintain the parts against change in relation. A second or intermediate position is reached when face Z) of the eccentric is presented to the locking bolt. In shifting to this position the plunger 4.2 comes into engagement with the corner 49 to prevent further movement without which the steering post cannot be locked. In the second position the eccentric lug 37 may also be relied upon to hold the parts immovable. The third position requires a rotation of the rock shaft from first position through about 180o to present the eccentric face c to the locking bolt which is then permitted to move forward into engagement with the groove 1() to lock the steering post. The plunger -42 in this position is turned away from the safety pin so as to have no active function..

In connection with a steering lock of the kind described, an ignition lock may also be provided. Two suggested constructions are shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In the former a switch is provided at the end of the rock'shaft opposite the o-perating handle 31, the whole being housed within a case that is remov-l ably secured to the lock housing.

As shown, the switch comprises an eccentric tongue 56 mounted upon one end of the rock shaft between ap-propriate insulating disks 57. The tongue is adapted for movement between fingers 58 having a mounting on an insulation block 59 which is aiXed to the lock housing upon an outer side thereof. Wires 60 and 61 connect with the lingers and form part of the engine ignitionA circuit. The tongue occupies a rotative position upon the rock shaft such as to lie between the fingers 58 only when the parts are in first position. In the second and third positions the tongue is disengaged from the fingers so as to break the ignition circuit. By combining a switch of this character with the steering llck of this invention, I provide for operation of the steering mechanism and ignition system when the parts are in first or running position; in the second position the ignition only is disabled; whereas in the third position both the steering and ignition are rendered inoperative.

An ignition switch of somewhat altered con-struction is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the lock housing is formed to provide a chamber Ithe periphery of the rock shaft.

nasales for the accommodation of an insulated slid- ,able plunger 61 one end of which is pressed by a spring 62 against a ball 63 that rests upon A socket 64 formed in the shaft is adapted to partly receive the ball when the parts are in the first position, the ball, together with its associated parts, constituting in effect a friction detent in relation to the rock shaft. Bearing laterally against the plunger are two pins 65 and 66 held in suitable insulating mountings, 67, each being spring pressed against the plunger. rI`he pin mountings are preferably carried in a switch housing 69 which is removably axed to the lock structure in any convenient manner. Capping one end of the plunger is a conductor sleeve 68 that extends from the pin 65 close to the pin 66 which latter bears against the insulated body of the plunger when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 4. If the rock shaft be rotated, however, to the second or third positions wherein the ball 63 is expelled from the socket 64, the plungergwill shift endwise suficiently to move the conductor sleeve out of contact with the proximate end of the pin 66, thereby breaking an electrical ci-rcuit between the two pins. Suitable insulated conductors, not shown, extend from the pins to provide an electrical circuit for the ignition system of the engine in a manner that is well understood.A

The device forming the present invention provides a lock for the steering mechanism and, associated therewith, a switch for the ignition system of an automobile engine. In using the term"ignition system, I wish to be understood as referring to any electri- Acally controlled automobile mechanism, the

operation of which is necessary to free use of the car. The coincidental lock of this invention is under the control of a single means. In addition', the switch which forms an ignition lock may derive either a circular or linear movement from the steering lock control. In addition, movement ofv the rock shaft is controlled by a key operated lock, and may also require operation of a safety pin which must be shifted as a step preliminary to rotation of the rock shaft from its locking positions. rI'he switch unit is also convenient for assembly with the locking mechanism, in that it may be att-ached to the housing therefor, or bedetachable therefrom, Without disturbing or affecting the operative relation of the lock parts interiorly of the housing. Features such as these which characterize my invention, are embodied in a structure which is practicable to manufacture and install, and which will be found durable in service.

I claimt.

In combination, a lock having a housing in which is contained a bolt and operating means therefor, an electrical switch including a pair of fixed contacts, a movable switch element adapted to make or break an electrical connection between said contacts, a connection between the bolt operating means and the movable switch element such that the latter is actuated in response to movements of the former, and spring means working through the movable switch element providing a friction detent for the bolt operating means, substantially as described. l

ORVILLE S. HERSHEY. 

